A Jamesville-DeWitt school bus driver who lost his job after testing positive for marijuana says he is innocent and has not used the drug.

Phil Berrigan, 54, a J-D bus driver for the past 19 years, said subsequent drug tests came back negative and he should still be driving the bus.

Berrigan sent a letter to parents dated June 6 in which he detailed his fight to keep his job, and explained the circumstances leading to his dismissal.

In the letter, Berrigan told families a random drug test on Feb. 7 came back positive. He was informed of the results and suspended Feb. 13. He called his doctor that day.

Berrigan told parents his doctor told him "there was so little marijuana in my positive test that it would not be possible to have smoked" it.

The positive finding could have meant he "breathed it in second hand." Or the test could have been a false positive, he said.

Berrigan stood up Monday night and attempted to talk to the J-D school board about his situation, but was told he would have to meet privately with the board in executive session. Personnel matters can't be discussed in open session, even if Berrigan waives his right to privacy, Board President Sam Young said.

Several parents and students who attended the meeting to speak out in support of Berrigan were told they would have to submit comments in writing.

Berrigan would not comment Monday night to Syracuse.com/The Post-Standard, but the families who came to support him spoke of his loyalty, safety record and trustworthiness.

In the three-page letter to parents, Berrigan said when he found out he tested positive for marijuana he felt "shock, devastation and bewilderment" at the news and felt as if "someone close to me had passed away."

After that, Berrigan said he underwent both a urine and hair follicle drug test, both done at a Department of Transportation-certified drug testing facility, which also were negative. However, the district still terminated him.

"I want to reiterate and make it clear that I have not done what I am being accused of, using marijuana, and would never put your child's safety in jeopardy,'' he said in the letter.

Parent Carol Liebler of Jamesville said she and her two daughters, Lanya, a sixth-grader, and Ailin, an eighth-grader, wondered where he was for the past several months. No one would tell them when they asked. Berrigan has driven their route for the past six years.

Lanya Liebler-Bendix, 11, and her sister, Ailin, 13; both J-D Middle School students who submitted a petition to have the board reinstate their bus driver.Elizabeth Doran/edoran@syracuse.com

When they got the letter, they and other parents decided to support him at the meeting. Lanya and Ailin Liebler-Bendix handed out flyers and collected a petition with about 16 signatures.

The two girls said they were frustrated that they couldn't speak publicly to the board.

"Phil has been our driver for six years," Carol Liebler said, "and he is absolutely outstanding. He is punctual and safe and takes good care of the kids on the bus."

She said she and the other parents on the route believe the drug test was wrong.

"We feel really safe with him driving the bus, and we felt really bad about this because we know he is innocent,'' Lanya said. "This is unjust."

"We totally trust him, and he keeps the kids calm and safe on the bus,'' Ailin said. "We think this is ridiculous since the first test was obviously wrong, and we want him to be reinstated."